BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED: 11.02.2026 CORAM THE HONOURABLE Mr. JUSTICE KRISHNAN RAMASAMY R.Parimala ...Petitioner vs.

1. The District Collector, Tiruchirappalli District, Tiruchirappalli.

2. The Thasildar, Srirangam Taluk, Tiruchirappalli District, Tiruchirappalli.

3. The Village Administrative Officer, Melur Village, Srirangam Taluk, Tiruchirappalli District.

4. The Inspector of Police, Srirangam Police Station, Tiruchirappalli District.

5. Thiruvengadam K

6. Neelamegam K ...Respondents Prayer: Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of Constitution of India, praying to issue a Writ of Mandamus directing the respondents 1 to 3 to recover the temple key namely Shri Mavadi Neelamega Malayala Muthukaruppana Swamy Temple situated at Neduntheru, Melur Road, Srirangam, Tiruchirappalli - 620 006, from the respondents 5 and 6 and hand over the temple key in favour of the petitioner and consequently direct the 4th respondent to give adequate police protection based on petitioner's representation dated 05.10.2023 which is the subject matter of a suit in I.A.No.2 of 2023 in O.S.No.229 of 2023 on the file of the learned IV Additional District Judge, Tiruchirappalli.

For Petitioner : Mr.S.Balaji For Respondents : Mr.C.Satheesh, Government Advocate for R1 to R3 Mr.A.Albert James, Government Advocate (Crl. Side) for R4 Mr.K.R.Kishore Ram for R5 & R6

ORDER

This Writ Petition has been filed to direct the respondents 1 to 3 to recover the key of the temple, namely, Shri Mavadi Neelamega Malayala Muthukaruppana Swamy Temple situated at Neduntheru, Melur Road, Srirangam, Tiruchirappalli, from the respondents 5 and 6 and hand over the same to the petitioner, and to direct the 4th respondent to give adequate police protection based on the petitioner's representation dated 05.10.2023 which is the subject matter of suit in I.A.No.2 of 2023 in O.S.No.229 of 2023 on the file of the learned IV Additional Subordinate Judge, Tiruchirappalli.

2. The learned counsel appearing for the petitioner would submit that I.A.No.2 of 2023 in O.S.No.229 of 2023 on the file of the learned IV Additional Subordinate Judge, Tiruchirappalli was already disposed of in favour of the petitioner. Once again, the private respondents herein filed a vacate stay petition, wherein, a modification order was passed and worship rights was granted to the petitioner, in the absence of poosari. Now, this Writ Petition has been filed to handover the keys of the subject temple, which is presently available with the private respondents. The learned counsel for the petitioner would also submit that a suit for partition and two suits for permanent injunction have also been filed by the petitioner with regard to the subject temple.

3. The learned counsel appearing for the respondents 5 and 6 would submit that the petitioner having filed a partition suit and obtained an interim order for worshipping, doing poojas and giving annathanam, now seeks to handover the keys of the subject temple. According to the learned counsel, since the petitioner has already filed a partition suit, his rights are to be decided before the Civil Court and until and otherwise, the suit is decided, the prayer sought for in this Writ Petition cannot be granted.

4. I have given due consideration to the submissions made on either sides.

5. It appears that the petitioner and the private respondents are siblings. The petitioner has already filed a suit for partition in O.S.No.229 of 2023 before the IV Additional Subordinate Judge, Tiruchirappalli and I.A.No.2 of 2023 filed in the above suit was also disposed by granting the following interim relief to the petitioner:-

"In the result, petition IA. No. 2/23 is allowed subject to conditions. Interim Injunction restraining the respondents from interfering the petitioner and her family members to worship deity Sri Mavadi Neelamega Malayala Karuppanasamy is granted and petitioner and her family members are entitled to do the pooja to the deity in the absence of poosa